The Committee on Probation Education (COPE) is comprised of four chief probation officers and four directors of juvenile court services plus members from the Adult Probation Services and Juvenile Justice Services Divisions of the Administrative Office of the Courts, and members-at-large from the community and the judiciary. Committee members serve three-year terms.

The committee administrates the following programs:

Intensive Probation Institute

Probation Certification Academy

Detention Officer Academy

Defensive Tactics & Firearms Training

Faculty Skills Development

COPE is responsible for statewide certification of adult and juvenile probation officers. As of July 1, 1995, any person hired as a probation officer by any probation department in Arizona is required to attend the Certification Academy. The Certification Academy is designed to provide basic training to all probation officers. Officers who pass the certification test, satisfactorily complete a minimum of one year of employment as a probation officer, and receive a recommendation from their Chief Probation Officer or Director of Juvenile Court Services, are certified by the Arizona Supreme Court as probation officers.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Committee on Probation Education is to enhance the ability of Probation Officers, Surveillance Officers and Detention Officers to protect the public by:

Maintaining a statewide approach to training and education which assures competency, consistency and continuity of knowledge and practice.

Proving training and education which promotes professional growth, enhances necessary skills and prepares officers to develop in their role.

Continually assessing the educational needs of officers, the rehabilitative needs of the offenders, and the public’s need for safety.

Excellence in Education Awards

The Committee on Probation Education (COPE), as a standing subcommittee of the Committee on Judicial Education and Training (COJET), recognizes outstanding probation and detention education trainers, subject matter experts and facilitators involved in the development and instruction of probation and detention programs statewide. The Excellence in Education Awards are awarded to recipients annually during the statewide Arizona Chief Probation Officers Association conference. You can nominate individuals or teams who taught or worked on curriculum development. Consider nominating an individual or team in one of the following categories:

Firearms

Detention Training

Defensive Tactics

Probation Training

Course Proposal

Have an idea for a new session for one of the training programs? Did you know you can recommend any new topic for inclusion into any COPE program? By completing and submitting the Course Proposal Form, you can propose adding a new session or modifying an existing session for programs such as the Probation Officer Certification Academy, Institute for Intensive Probation Supervision, and the Juvenile Detention Officer Academy. All proposals will go to COPE for review. The committee may adopt the recommendation, deny the recommendation or invite you or the subject matter expert to the meeting to provide additional information. If you have any questions or need assistance filling out the form, please contact Chad Kewish atckewish@courts.az.gov.

Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation, such as auxiliary aids or materials in alternative formats, by contacting Michelle Wessels at mwessels@courts.az.gov or (602) 452-3010. A person requesting an accommodation should make the request as early as possible to allow time to arrange the requested accommodation.